San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-08
A PRISON REFORM QUESTION.

A PRISON REFORM QUESTION.
Robert Pinkerton, the Deceive, in q
recent communication to the Chicago
Inter Ocean sets forth very fOrcibly the
necessity and the benefit OF n National
PrisOn Aid Society" The suggestions
Of Mr.. PinkertOn derive their principal
force from the knowledge which he
possesses of the criminal Glasses. His
life work as a detective has given him
peculiar opportunities for observation
mOny will not be suspected Of leaning
too leniently on the side of the offenders.
The object Of this article is not so much
to set forth Mr.. Pinke-tOn's views on
the question OF prison aid, or aid
to discharged prisoners, as to show
his opinions concerning the reforms-
tory possibilities Of criminsls and his
Ideas Of the pressure Of circumstances
under which the bulk OF discharged
prisoners are forced mo tie criminal
ranks and become professionals. His
opinion is, that a very large proportion
Of the criminals who are sent to the PEN
itentiary for the first or second time,
leave their prison house with a real de-
termination 10 reform. That this de-
termination ia thwarted by the hostility
o. the police, by stool pigeons, whose
business it Ia to blaok-mail discharged
prisoners who are trying TO live honest
lives, unknown among their fellows and
employers as discharged criminals, by
the difficulty Of obtaining employment,
and bv the flatteIlng attentions OF pro e
fessional criminals, whose acquaintance
they have made while serving sentence
In p. ison.
The one point emphs lied is this. The
head OF the principe detective agency
Of this country unqualifledly expresses
the opinion that lsrge percentage OF
discharged @. iminals leave prison de-
and are driven into criminal practices
by the force OF the circumstances which
surround them. This one fact should
engage the q .entiOn OF philanthrOp!sts
and moralists End social reformers to
the exclusion Of petty ques. lions that
have no practical bearing upon the
pressing needs OF suffering men. tits to
the shame and diss race of our humanity,
q libel upon our Christianity, and an in
dictment OF our philanthropy as a ma
ton that this condition Of things
should exist IL true, 1t points the way
to an infant suppression of at least
sixty or seventy per cent. OF the orimi-
nal class in this country. Not only so. II
the large majority of o. iminals who leave
our prisons do so with determination
to reform, If the mere fact OF punish
ment accompanies so much, what might
not be accomplished by a judiciOus sys-
TEN of reformatoly work undertaken so
sc IN as the criminal tendency manifests
itself in the youth without waiting Cor
it to crystaliZe into actual crime? The
whole question is pertinent to the best
interests OF society and to the suppress
sion of crime by economic process. II n
ounce of preventive is worth more than
pound of cure in any case it is here.
The remedy for nine-tenths Of our crimi-
nal excuses and expenses lies, tirst-in
wise system OF reform schools and in
dustrial schools for our reckless youth;
second, in a humane and sympathetic
extension Of aid to discharged prisoners
who desire hencefO h to live honestly.
Such aid u Will shield them . ON the
ban of society, the sui Seilance of the
police, provide them with profitable
work, I'd have watch c; re over them
until they become established Il upiight
lii no